Vincent Darlage’s Reviews > An Anthology of Ancient Mesopotamian Texts: When the Gods Were Human > Status Update

Read "Gilgamesh and Akka" - a story of a war between Uruk and Kish. Uruk (led by Gilgamesh) wins.

Read "Birth and Rise of King Sargon", which reads almost like an early history of Moses with the whole basket of reeds and set upon a river story.

Read "the Babylonian theodicy", which was written as a dialogue by someone who suffers, and a friend who tries to put things into a better light.

Read "The Ishtar Hymn of Ammiditana," "Enheduana Sings Against the Imminent Destruction," and "King Utuhengal Expels the Gutians."

The first was a hymn of praise, and read as such. Humans praising their gods hasn't changed much - it all reads basically the same. The second was apparently the first writing known by a woman, convey her distress at the downfall of her father, the king. The latter is about a battle.

Read "The Tale of Etana" and "Invitation to the Dead for a Feast," which were both interesting.

Finished "The Revenge of the Poor Man of Nippur," which was quite amusing.

I thought "The Master and his Servant" was quite clever, with a master demanding his servant justify his dictates - and when the servant does so, the master reverses his dictates and the servant then justifies the reversal.

It's like watching politics at work. No matter what course is chosen, a justification can be found.